How Congress' fall in Surat mirrors its wider decline across India
When BJP secured its inaugural uncontested seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha from Surat city in Gujarat, it captured the nation's attention and focused it on Surat's political landscape. Today, Surat stands as a bastion of the BJP, with Congress having seemingly vanished from the scene.
Yet, there was a time when Congress held sole dominion over this very city.
Traditionally, Surat was never an activity hub for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or BJP. However, over the past three decades, the saffron party has experienced a remarkable ascension.
Today, it stands at an unparalleled pinnacle, largely due to the diminishing presence of the Congress party's cadre and leadership. Simultaneously, the BJP's five decades of dedicated efforts, coupled with demographic shifts, enabled it to step into the void within Surat's political landscape, the economic hub of the state.
A desertion and then, failure to get election documents across!
Not far back, BJP had little presence even in the Surat Municipal Corporation.
It was in the mid eighties that a group of councilors broke away from the Congress party and allied with the BJP and took over reigns in the municipal corporation.
Since then BJP has never looked back in Surat.
Another major turning point for the BJP was in a municipal election a quarter of a century ago, when a whopping 98 of its councilors got elected after the Congress failed to ensure timely delivery of election documents to its candidates.
Price to pay for Bofors too
Moreover, there was an anti-Congress sentiment due to the Bofors bribery accusations in the 1990s.
As a result, out of the four assembly seats in the Surat constituency, the Congress party lost three to BJP and one to Yuva Vikas Party (then supported Janta Dal led by the then leader late Chimanbhai Patel).
Since then, Congress has never succeeded either regaining power in the municipal corporation or even winning all four assembly seats.
How the great migration helped
Surat-based senior journalist Bakul Tailor, said: “The fall of Congress and rise of BJP can be credited to two to three developments: First, the change demography. Earlier the city politics was dominated by local indigenous communities like Koli Patels, Khatris, Gola and Gannchi. But with flourishing diamond and textile industries, people from Saurashtra, North Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Punjab started pouring in the city.”
“People from Saurashtra were Patidars, from North Gujarat, there came members of the Jain Community, and from Rajasthan and Punjab, mostly Baniyas influenced by the BJP. This migration slowly and steadily built a strong vote bank for the BJP. BJP benefited more from these communities because of its members across the city and in all 10 seats. 2009 delimitation also helped the ruling party to cut to size minority domination in any assembly seats of the city,“ he added.
Surat Congress Leader and INTUK member Kamran Usmani said: “Changing demography and changes in leadership proved a double blow to the Congress party. After the sudden demise of CD Patel, Amarsinh Chaudhary, and the retirement of stalwart Jeenabhai Darji, local party leaders like Kadir Pirzada, Jawahar Upadhyay, Thakor Naik, Pratap Kantharia and Sunil Bhukhanwala failed to rise to the occasion and provide a strong leadership and keep the party united and take it forward. Instead they kept themselves busy in groupism and ensuring that no new leadership develops in the party.”
Against that, the BJP got leaders like Kashiram Rana, Fakir Chauhan, organiser Arvind Godiwala, Suman Desai, Ramanlal Patel and Jayanti Kevat who worked day and night in expanding party network.
In 1995, the BJP single-handedly won the state assembly, which helped the local leaders to take up development projects in the city and change the perception of local voters towards the party. It helped develop an image that BJP is result oriented and believes in public welfare.
During this long journey, many Congress leaders joined BJP and strengthened its presence not only in Surat city but even in South Gujarat, be it leaders like Rupin Pachhhigar, Manu Jarkahiya, Dinesh Kachdiya, from Surat city or Jitu Chaudhary from Valsad Prabhu Vasava from Bardoli. Mangal Gavit From Dang, Chhana Chaudhry Vansda.
No wonder, the BJP hasn't looked back since.